Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-08
TIE STATE GUARD.
A GHOST IN a LEAD-nrsE.
Am Appsritscn seen by several Per.
.ons-Mysaerious Guardian.

A Galcna Qll.l letter saws: The excite
ment which prevailed last fall among mt
ners in the vicinlty OF Pilot Knob. near
this city. over the alleged supernatural
manifestations IN one Of the. numerous
drifts in that locality, has been revived
In A measure by stories OF the appear
ance OF genuine spectre In desert
ed shaft not fat from the foot
of the Knob and on ground said
TO be prolific Of ghosts In human
and other shapes, In times gone past.
This particular specimen Of the genus
spectre IL described by trustworthy
person who claims TO have seen II, as pos
sessIng the form OF man dressed IN The
ordinary suit OF a lead.miner, With
miners lamp affixed TO the front OF his
cap, which casts a supernatural reflection
throughout the drifts and creylces IN
which he Is said TO work with pick and
Esd. The appariiion or ghost, as 1t Is
termed, was first Geen by miner named
| Dewey, who had entered the old shaft for
the purpose OF prospecting Tor AHEAD wnich
is supposed TO exist in that particular
locality, and which was overlooked by
former prospectors.
A STRANGE STORY.
In detailing the circumstances TO the
correspondent OF the Globe. Democrat. Mr..
Dewey said
al was working by myself In an east
and-west drift, when | was suddenly at
tracted by The sound Of pick being struck
into The ground near by. ut first imagined
Il to be the echoes from the implement
was using, but on glapcing IN the direction
the noise came from was amazed at seeing
u man at work like myself about fifty feet
away in o cTeyice or cave, which was il'u.
minated by small lamp, such as are used
by coal.mIners, which was affixed to the
front Of his hat. | watched the man FOR
moment, and supposing that he was Ike
wise engaged IN prospecting for ore,
laid down my pick and advanced TO-
ward the spot where he seemed TO
be industTIously working. AS reared my
! mysterious companion the light OF his lamp
began 10 grow dim, also bis figure, and on
reaching the place was sill further aston.
shed at seeing both man and light fade
away entirely, leaving nothing to indicate
his presence save freshy-dug hole in the
floor OF the. cIeyIce, which was barely dis
cernibe in the reflection east by nv tallow
candle. burning tity feet away. returned
to the spot hSd left, aud, picking up my
candle, rctraced my steps and thoroughly
explored the crevice, which was not
large, and had no opening beyond; but
the man had disappeared from the
drift. leaving no track or trace OF his where
abouts. a rusty pick with rotten handle
lay on the pile OF dirt thrown up from the
hole or excavation. had never been be-
never in the supernatural, and had always
imagined myself as courageous as the gene
Iality OF men, but both my belief and bravery
at that time underwent q sudden cb9nge.
fully realized the fact that what had seen
was the veritable app9rition Of "A man, aud
not a creature OF my imagination, aud
began TO tremble with fright aud make
haste to quit the mine, barely being able TO
climb the ladder leading out OF the shaft,
owing to my diminished strength.
SECOND APPEARANCE.
"That afternoon, in company with two
pluckv fellow.miners reentered tie drift
with tbe.vIew OF ascertaIuing whether or
not my mysterious companion OF two or
three hours previous would again put In
an appearance, and was rewarded by seeing
him at work, in the same manner rs before,
throwing out dirt from the excavation in the
crevice have mentioned. My friends saw
the appsrition, too, distinctly. and as we
advanced the sound OF the pick ceased, the
light faded away, and the spirit-mner dis
appeared from view. One OF my friends,
sn old resident OF the locality, recognized
the apparition as that OF a miner who had
worked many years in the same dIggings
we were in, firm in the conviction that he
would some day strike rich lead that
wGuld repay him for all his labor. He was
finally missed for several DAYS by his fellow
miners OF the neighbOrhoOd, and on search
ing the drift In wbicb he had been known
10 be working, his dead body was found on
the very spot where his apparition had ap-
peared 10 myself and friends"
Some days ago, according TO reports from
Pilot Knob, large vein Of mineral was
discovered few feet below the excavation
alleged TO have been made by spirit hands.
Later accounts are TO the effect that the
ghostly miner was standing sentinel over
the spot, and that no one could be found
with sufficient courage 10 attempt to drive
him from his position. Superstition is
growing in the locality, and It Is not likely
that the yaIueiess mine will ever be
worked.